Dyana Ortelli as Mercedes in “Ana Maria in Novela Land”
Don’t Miss “Ana Maria In Novela Land” Set Your DVRs! Saturday, May 2nd 2015 — 5PM and 7:05 PM PST 8PM (EST) /7C Oxygen Cable Network
By Elia Esparza
When Dyana Ortelli first told me about being cast in Georgina Garcia Reidel’s Ana Maria in Novela Land, I knew she would bring her “A” game to this amusing comedy. She was thrilled she would be working with Georgina, whose work on How The Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer she had loved. She was also excited to be joining an ensemble of some of her good friends and colleagues—actors Luis Guzman, Pepe Serna, and best of all, Elizabeth Peña. No one had any inkling at the time of filming that this movie would be Ms. Peña’s last film credit.
Ana Maria in Novela Land is a comedy that is a funny story about a diehard telenovela fan whose obsession for the “Pasion sin limites” creates a magical switcheroo. Lifetime’s Devious Maids Edy Ganem stars in the dual roles as Ana Maria, the under-achieving twenty-something who spends too much tweeting and daydreaming, and a sexy, sultry star and conniving telenovela diva, Ariana.
Athough funny lady Ortelli, is a popular comedienne in her own right, she plays her role as the maid quite straight forward, very proper and dignified, which in itself is funny. Then there is a hilarious twist at the end. As we sit down to talk with her about the industry she is all business and focused. “Being funny is hard work,” she says. Here she talks with me about her role in Ana Maria in Novela Land, and about getting to work one last time with her good friend, Elizabeth Peña.
Latin Heat: You are Mercedes, the maid to the rich family in “Pasiones sin limites,” Ana Maria’s favorite telenovela. How is this role different from other maids you’ve played?
Dyana Ortelli: Well, first of all, Ana Maria in Novela Land is a comedy so I got to have a lot of fun playing with my character. And Mercedes lives in make believe “Novela Land,” so it was OK to be ‘over-the-top’ for once! I chose to play Mercedes very dignified and proper, as opposed to her being a sassy or raunchy maid. After all, Mercedes has had a privileged upbringing, working for very rich and educated people. Also, true to telenovela genre, Mercedes has a secret, a big ‘reveal.’ But I can’t give it away.
LH: The movie is a classic “Identity Switch” formula like so many other films. What do you think makes this movie unique?
DO: Ana Maria is probably the first switcheroo movie with a Latino twist! It taps into the world of Spanish language telenovelas, which are much more dramatic and glamorous than general market soap operas. The lead is a young Latina named Ana Maria (played by Edy Ganem) who live-tweets while watching her favorite telenovela. She is obsessed with the novela’s gorgeous leading lady, Ariana (also played by Edy). Ana Maria’s mother is beautifully played by Elizabeth Peña, who does not understand how her daughter can watch a novela, while live-tweeting or what she means by having ‘followers.’ One of my favorite lines is when her mother asks, ‘are you in some kind of a cult?’ So, we see Latino families spending family time together watching Spanish telenovelas, but approaching them very differently. And there’s a perfect mix of Spanish and English being spoken, just like we see in multi-generational Latino families living in the U.S.
LH: Why was it important for you to be cast in this movie?
DO: I wanted to be a part of Ana Maria the minute I saw two names attached to the project: Elizabeth Peña and director Georgina Garcia Reidel. I love their work! And then I found out that Edy Ganem and Luis Guzman were also part of the cast, well that was just the icing on the cake!
LH: Yes, the casting was excellent—an ensemble of character actors with great chemistry.
DO: Big kudos to casting director Valerie McCaffrey for casting Latinos and finding bilingual actors for the cast—not an easy task! It’s a beautiful thing to see so many talented Latinos up on the big screen! Not to mention that Valerie secured two actual Spanish-language mega telenovela stars—Juan Pablo Gamboa and the iconic Lupita Ferrer! Doesn’t get any better than that!
“I was delighted to see ‘Ana Maria in Novela Land.’ I had some good laughs and it was great to see our veteran Latino talent like Dyana Ortelli, Luis Guzman and Pepe Serna in a great telenovela spin. Edy Ganem also did a fantastic job. My heart ached to see the talented Elizabeth Peña for the last time on the big screen. She is sorely missed. And, congratulations to Georgina Reidel.” – Marlene Dermer, President of LatinoFilmWorks
LH: How do you feel about being in a production that is Elizabeth Peña’s last before her untimely passing?
DO: Watching Elizabeth on the big screen, so vibrant and full of life, I still find it hard to believe that she is no longer with us. It’s kind of heartbreaking really. And her performance is so beautifully nuanced and pitch-perfect—hitting all the right comedic and dramatic notes. Needless to say, I am very proud to be sharing the big screen with her on this project. I got to work with her one last time.
LH: We know Latinos will love this movie, but why do you think it will also resonate with the non-Latino moviegoers?
DO: It’s no secret that non-Latino audiences have a fascination with Spanish-language telenovelas. Mainstream shows have been spoofing our telenovelas on shows like Saturday Night Live and The Soup for years. One of my favorite lines from SNL is ‘more dramatic than a hospital scene in a Mexican soap opera!’ The fiery, gorgeous, over-the-top leads in ‘Novela Land’ are sure to draw Latino and non-Latino audiences alike.
Ana Maria in Novela Land is in limited theatrical release. In Los Angeles, it is currently showing at the AMC Burbank Town Center 8 and at the AMC Norwalk 20. Check your local theater listings and don’t miss seeing this film.
Ana Maria in Novela Land Running time: 93 Min. English, Spanish Dialogue A Fluency Studios release of a Synthetic Cinema Intl. production in association with Steakhaus Productions Director: Georgina Garcia Ridel Screenplay: Georgina Garcia Riedel, Jose Nestor Marquez Producers: Andrew Gernhard, Shane O’Brien, Zach O’Brien Executive Producers: Jose Nester Marquez, Valerie Stadler Cast: Edy Ganem, Michael Steger, Luis Guzman, Elizabeth Pena, Dyana Ortelli, Tamara Taylor, Mercedes Mason, Nestor Serrano, Juan Pablo Gamboa, John Patrick Barry
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